It is desirable to increase the speed of computers beyond their present capabilities. However, in order to do this beyond a certain point, it is necessary to change from an electrical-based interconnect system to an optical-based interconnect system. This is due to the fact that wires and circuit lines generate electrical noise, and other signal lines nearby get electrical distortion due to interference, such as crosstalk. On the other hand, light transmission does not affect other light transmission signals nearby, and light signals can travel and switch at much higher speeds than electrical signals.
While optical arrangements for computer use have been proposed, they have generally been overly complex and, in many cases, impractical, or impossible to build. Thus, any practical optical computing system must have at least the following features:                a) Reliable and convenient packaging, e.g., connection of chips to optical components and heat sinks;        b) The ability to manipulate multiple optical beams and feed the optical beams in different directions; and        c) The ability to transmit, reflect, or block individual optical beams on a pixel-by-pixel basis.        